The Waste Management Act No. 24 of 2014 commenced in June 2014 and provides for the protection of the environment by encouraging effective waste services and operations.
It establishes specific responsibilities for identifying waste, collecting waste, disposing of waste, planning and reporting on waste management and managing hazardous waste. These responsibilities are shared between the department, municipal and provincial councils, the Ministry of Health and Biosecurity Vanuatu. The relevant acts can be viewed from below:
On 1 February 2018, the Honourable Minister signed three orders made under the Waste Management Act No. 24 of 2014. The orders address three waste issues and implement the decision of the Council of Ministers to ban certain non-biodegradable plastics. The orders address:
- The control of single use plastic bags, plastic straws and polystyrene takeaway boxes
- Littering
- The licensing of private waste operators.
The gazette can be downloaded from below: